BootsnAll Travel Community

Hello to everyone....I am currently setting up a trip to Europe for the summer from July 7th to August 28th. I have made a short list of cities so far that I have become interested, but I am trying to make the best trip of my life. I love the outdoors so Interlocken is key for me, but I also want to see a a bit of historical stuff. Any and every suggestion is welcome here is my list
1. London…. 3 days
2. Paris… 3 days
3. Prague… 3 day
4. Interloken… 3 days
5. Ibiza… 3 days
6. Rome 2
7. Vienna 2
8. Amsterdam… 2 days
9. Venice 2
10. Brussels 2
11. Nice 2
12. Munich 1
13. Madrid 3
14. Berlin 2
I think that trying to go to Greece and Spain might be overwhelming in this amount of time. Which one should I drop...I am starting to think that Spain and Portugal shouldbe a trip of their own at a later date? How is the best way to get to IBIZA

[This message was edited by Sean on 07 March 2001 at 12:21.]

The tour looks like a busy one. A bit on the lines of todays Thursday it must be Berlin.

I would suggest that you try to make your planning more flexible Take it slower visiting fewer cities in greater detail. If you find that a certain place is not your style then you can move on quicker.

If you cut out the Iberian peninsular and Ibizia(you can party other places) that would certainly give you more time in the northern cities.

I agree that your list is way too long. I'd narrow it down even more, keep it focused regionally. Also, as the rest will tell you, it's great to see Paris, but it ain't France. If there are countries you are more interested in than others, plan to hit some small towns and the countryside, particularly if you like the outdoors. After the toursit glut of Prague, for example, why not visit the Tatry Mtns for a few days of walking, then travel up to Krakow, which is more interesting, I'd say, than Munich. Or, after Paris, head to Chamonix for some walks around Mont Blanc, then off to Switzerland or Italy, or wherever. Ticking off the must-see cities and landmarks was fun, and memorable, but even better was staying late in the back of some pub with some locals you've met -- something that's hard to do in a major tourist city. Keep it simple, and slow, and you'll get way more out of it.

I really recommend going to Greece. The Aegean Sea is beautiful. So is Mt. Olympus, and a hike to the summit and back down is only two days. There is a cool lodge almost at the very top that has sign-in books and people just crash there overnight. And, all the ruins in Greece are worth the trip too.

If I were you, I'd skip Paris. Chances are you'll end up in Europe again someday. You could save Spain and Portugal for that trip too. You don't want to be so exhausted from running around that you don't appreciate what you're experiencing.

amanda

Hey Mathew,

I just came back from backpacking from Europe for a month in may and I agree with the other responses. I did write up travelogues on my trip on bootsnall website.

I visited London, Brussels, Vienna, Salzburg, Gruenau, Venice, Florence, stopped at Pisa on my way to Rome, and took a ferry to Greece in one month. It was busy but doable.

I tried to include the names of the places I stayed and how much it costs. You also may want to keep in mind that in August A LOT of Europeans go on vacation so it will be harder to find a place to stay. AND PACK SUPER LIGHT!!!!!

email me if you have any questions, I'll be happy to help.

Celeste
cbobryk@cts.com

As most responders have allready pointed out, it looks like a whistle-stop tour with only major sites. It's possible but not recommended.
Let's see...
1. London…. 3 days
You must be joking... I would say a minimum of 5-6 days.
2. Paris… 3 days
I would say 5 days, including Versailles, is the minimum.
3. Prague… 3 days
Well... that's where I'd like to go next, and I think about a week... 3 days might be just the minimum.
4. Interlaken… 3 days
Well... Interlaken itself isn't worth an hour, but the mountains around... you can easily spend a week there... but I would recommend other regions of Switzerland as well.
5. Ibiza… 3 days
In my opinion, just a waste of time... not to mention that you need a ferry to get there.
6. Rome 2
I don't think you would do justice to this place with less than 3 days.
7. Vienna 2
Haven't been there.
8. Amsterdam… 2 days
3 would be better... and what about the rest of Holland?
9. Venice 2
Should be enough.
10. Brussels 2
One day should be sufficient, but I would suggest another day for Brugges. If you have one place in Belgium, I would prefer Brugges.
11. Nice 2
Haven't been there, no comment.
12. Munich 1
Worth 2 days.
13. Madrid 3
That's OK, but spare another day for Toledo.
14. Berlin 2
Haven't been there.

Now... let's put it in reasonable order.
Let's say you start in London... 6 days.
Next Paris... 5 days. Brussels and Brugges 2 days, Amsterdam 3 days... next is Berlin, 2-3 days, Munchen 2 days, Prague 3 days, Vienna 2 days...
next to Italy... Venezia 2 days, Firenze 2 days (you must be nuts not to go there!), Rome 3 days...
So far it's 33 days.
Now you must decide whether you go to Greece, or return north.
Let's say you skip Greece.
You go to Switzerland via Milano (worth a day). I would suggest to stop at Luzern and Bern for a day each before Interlaken, where you can stay virtually as long as you like... there are enough attractions to fill a week.
Now you're heading to Spain, with a stop at Nice if you like (allthough it's a detour).
On your way to Madrid I would suggest you stop at Barcelona for 2-3 days. then 3 days for Madrid, a day for Toledo, and I would suggest a day for Segovia too.
There's much more to see in Spain, and if you have time to spare, go south to Sevilla (2 days), Cordoba (1-2 days) and Granada (1-2 days). You won't regret it!
(on a second thought: South of Spain is very hot and crowded in August... you better save it for a better season)

Well... the choice is yours...
As someone else mentioned, you better spend some time in smaller places... like Rothenburg and Heidelberg in Germany, San-Giminiano(sp?) and Sienna in Italy...
not to mention that staying out of the big cities will be easier on your budget...

Remember: Planning your itinerary is good, but be flexible and go by your guts...
Don't feel sorry for something you missed... think of what you enjoyed and experienced...

Wherever you go... you'll surely have the trip of your life... Until the next one!

i just want to add LONDON IS EXPENSIVE!!!
I was there for 4 days and quite honestly that was enough!

My reply is very brief as I came across your message while looking for something else.
But two areas you might have missed and definitely worth seeing are Dublin, Ireland
. Check out discout airline www.ryanair.com
Also, you're righ about Spain it does deserve more time. One region you should not neglect is the Basque country and not just the Guggenheim in Bilbao. The Basque country is a treasure chest of culture, festivals, excellent cuisine and is completely authentic, not having been hit by mass tourism or commercialism. I'm not sure where you're departing from but you might be interested in the flexability of airfares offered by www.airhitch.org

regards
Ken
Totally Spain

Aaaarrggghhh!
Forget about how many days you'll spend everywhere. Just go! You'll budget 3 for Paris and only stay 1... or maybe you'll stay a week. Your mood, the weather, friends you meet, etc. all change how you feel about a place so there's no way to tell how long you want to stay until you get there!
Have a blast and remember: if it ain't fun, get the f**k out to someplace fun.

yes, just go there and enjoy ur time! 30 days its not enough for Europe. I would like to ... no, u know what? Take some good road atlas and take a look on it.
I think that u forgot about Balcan Peninsula, Dubrownik - it's not so dangerous as it seems to be, and 3 days + next 7 days for mountains, forests, small towns.
Copenhagen - min. 4 days(Absalon Hotel, www.absalon-hotel.dk - cheep, clean, in the middle of amazing city, breakfast included; with computrer room-u don't have to pay for it).
Cracow, Wroclaw in Poland, most of national parks (don't missprimeval forest of Bialowieza), Tatry Mountains (in Slovakia and Czech Republic too), it's not too far from Prague.

Iceland, beautiful landscapes, everything very expencive, terrible food - but believe me it's worth of trouble!

HAVE A GREAT TIME, TAKE A GOOD CAMERA!!!

GOOD LUCK!!!

for information about Poland and Iceland: olasz@chatb.com